1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention relates to digital printing systems, and more specifically, to distributed printing systems coupled by a communications network.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Fortune 1000 companies spend approximately $800 B annually to fuel their print communications supply chain, delivering projects ranging from internally published training manuals, to branded marketing collateral. Generally, the supply chain spans a set of functions including creative, administration, warehousing and distribution. Communications and marketing professionals are continuously being tasked with finding more effective methods to drive a company's message. In general, such professionals seek what is termed in the art as an improved Return on Communications Investment (ROCI).
There is tremendous potential for the world's largest enterprises to drastically improve the effectiveness of their print communications supply chain and, at the same time, reduce supply chain costs by 25%-40% with the adoption of distributed print on demand (POD). However, it is appreciated that there does not currently exist one single printer that has the necessary work flow management capability, the global presence, or the production capacity to fully deliver these benefits.
Communication Service Firms (CSFs)
For many years, innovative companies have sought to solve the printing problems of the Enterprise with digital printing technology. Unfortunately, these companies have not been able to unlock the true returns from implementing a real-time globally distributed digital print platform. Most conventional digital print service providers (PSPs) produce printed documents from a central location and thus incur significant shipping and handling costs. In addition, the manual nature of the client interface is expensive and time consuming for users to operate.
Print Service Providers (PSPs)
Currently, it is appreciated that the world's output capacity for digital print and other forms of printed communications is distributed in a manual manner amongst tens of thousands of companies, most of which are small to mid-sized companies, and are generally privately-held. The single biggest driver of a PSP's margin is their capacity utilization. Unfortunately, it is appreciated that inefficiencies in the current value chain lead to low utilization, and thus lower profits. It is appreciated that the total digital print utilization globally is very low, perhaps below 40% of capacity. Thus, it would be beneficial to provide a service that is capable of more effectively managing print services in a global marketplace.